Spending on skills leadership – just the beginning

MEDIA RELEASE – 30 April 2007

Budget spending on skills leadership – just the beginning.

“Today’s announcement by the Minister for Tertiary Education, that Government plans to invest in the industry skills leadership activities of industry training organisations, is welcomed”, said Jeremy Baker, Executive Director of the Industry Training Federation.

“However, the $4.5 million dollars per year allocated for this investment across 40 industries doesn’t give ITOs the resourcing they need to fully realise the potential gains from their close relationships with industry”, added Mr Baker.

New Zealand’s 40 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) are the organisations established by industry to develop national qualifications and manage arrangements for training in workplaces. Since 2002 ITOs have had responsibility for providing leadership within their industries on skills-related matters; activity for which no additional funding was provided.

“In the latest Tertiary Education Strategy, the Government said it wanted ITOs to play a greater role in providing leadership within the tertiary education system, as well as leadership within their industries. While it is good to have some recognition of the costs involved in industry skills leadership, today’s announcement must be seen as the beginning of more comprehensive investment in this role”, said Mr Baker.

“Today’s funding announcement also clearly signaled the need for change in the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnic (ITPs) and wananga sectors; the scope of changes required is reflected in the additional $111 million the Government plans to spend on them over the next 2 years. ITOs look forward to working with the Tertiary Education Commission, ITPs and the wananga themselves to ensure that this investment responds to the needs of employers and industry”, said Mr Baker.

“ITOs will provide the best advice and information they can with the resources allocated in today’s announcement. We hope that Government doesn’t miss the real opportunity to capitalise on the capability and knowledge ITOs have gained through their relationships with industry. This has to be seen as just the beginning of adequately resourcing this critical role in the tertiary system”, said Mr Baker.

ENDS

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